The Journal of Abraham
by TheUndyingCrystal
Summary: "My name is Abraham." This is the same character from K Entertainment's Clan INFAMOUS: Help Wanted!. A complete history of his past.
1. Entry I

_My name is Abraham._

_I was once the servant of the scion Adrammelech, the Wroth. Yes, the scion of lightning and thunder. I was once his greatest protector._

_Many sought his power in the Zertinan Caverns. All fell to my power and to his. However, one fateful day, a lone traveler, his name is known to me now as Father Elijah, arrived alone to face the Scion. My Master merely laughed, and mocked the old man behind his shield of a sand twister._

_While I readied my powers, and he summoned his undead to fight, Elijah merely produced a spear. A magnificent spear it was! We continued to mock him as he accidentally dropped the spear, but I know now his age had done nothing to his mind or reflexes._

_As the dozens of undead closed in on him, he remained crouched, trying to pick up the spear. I myself laughed, and merely watched._

_However, that was what Elijah was waiting for. He had the spear the entire time in his hands. In one fluid movement, Elijah effortlessly swirled the spear in a complicated yet beautiful dance, and finished with one twirl. In that single moment, every zombie fell into pieces. My master, offended and taken off guard, promptly summoned more zombies and I readied to fight._

_And so it continued for several minutes, him cutting down the undead and getting closer to me, my Master's last defense._

_He grew tired, and leapt over the remaining foes, to me. I effortlessly slung several dozen spheres of energy at him. Not one made contact. Not one._

_In a single moment, I felt odd. I clutched my stomach, and realized that Elijah had, in one fluid moment, pierced my heart, and left me sprawled across the sand to die._

_I watched as my vision dimmed as Elijah, this old man with white hair and a creaky step, defeated a scion made by the GODS themselves all by his lonesome. But Adrammelech had left me one final gift before he fell himself; he healed me to full health, and teleported me away from the Zertinan Caverns to one of the many entrances._

_I awoke there, on a dune of what is now called the Dalmascan Westersands. Even there, though, I could feel and hear the roars and echoes of the fight. In the end, Elijah won. He won easily, and left easily._

_I have searched and searched for him. For so many years, I searched. I searched for the wizened old man who usurped my Master of his power and freedom, and who took MY reason for life._

_My name is Abraham._

_And when I find Father Elijah, I will kill him._

__

_I had no power left. My magick power had been lost with my Master, leaving me naked and helpless upon the dunes of this desert._

_With nothing else to do, I set off, just barely sighting a large city over the canyons and mountains. I was ambushed multiple times, but something happened that surprised me. I had never used melee combat before. I had enough magick power._

_However, I shocked myself when I effortlessly defeated a pack of wolves that ambushed me with my bare hands. I was naked, in the desert, and alone. How did I do that? I still wonder even to this day._

_As I continued my journey, I sighted an oasis. In the end, this cut my trial short._

__

_I arrived, but I realized beforehand that there were others there already._

_I stepped into the small camp, but many things confused me._

_I hadn't encountered another women in all my service, which counted to 3000 years. And these ones intrigued me the most._

_They had odd ears. Reminiscent of rabbit ears, I remember once hearing. They were…shocked to see an unclothed man step out of the desert alive._

_At first, I had been confused. They had acted rather odd, turning red and pointing. I surmised eventually that they were slightly put off by my immodesty, and asked them._

_They were very nervous around me, until one, who called herself Coela gave me clothes. They were well suited to the desert, along with the boots she gave me._

_They invited me to stay for the night, until they would be able to return to Rabanastre, the city I saw. I accepted._

_After I was settled in, I gave them my story. Oddly enough, only Coela actually believed me. The others couldn't help but disbelieve my story about the scion I served and still serve._

_I dismissed their prattle, and continued talking to Coela. She educated me in several ways, including the name of her race. Something she called the Viera, or People of the Wood. I learned more from her, and she eventually told me her secret. She no longer desired the plebian existence of this caravan life, and wanted to become a great warrior._

_I realized that the only chance to defeat Father Elijah, is to be faster and stronger and better trained than him._

_I also described the intricately designed spear he wielded, and Coela identified it as a legendary lance imaginatively called the Zodiac Spear. She claimed it had been missing for centuries, and this proved someone had found it._

_That night, she and I made a pact that we would leave together. We would train and learn together. We would defeat Father Elijah together. We swore that we would avenge my Master, and free him. Then she did something I didn't expect. She kissed me on the cheek. I had no idea what that meant. What she felt for me, until later. Either way, I looked upwards. I had a chance._

_That night, Clan Circle Of Umbra was conceived._

__

_We slipped off from the caravan easily enough, "borrowing", as she put it, weapons from her old family._

_I ironically chose the spear. She chose a sword called Platinum Blade._

_We easily made our way to Rabanastre, and made our final plan after staying at an Inn for several days, living off the gil she brought._

_I was wandering through the city one day, and found what they call a Petition Board. I was curious, and asked the bartender of the Sandsea. He claimed it to be a Hunter's petition. I was intrigued, and he instructed me on the nature of the Clans and Hunts._

_In mere moments, I made my choice and brought it to Coela. She agreed._

_We met with the petitioner, and began the hunt. It was relatively simple; it was to drive off a monster called the Thextera. We began the hunt and found the giant beast._

_It brought friends, but after a long and hard fight we emerged the victor, sending the wounded Mark into the desert as the petition requested._

_We gleefully collected our reward and realized the potential._

_That night, Coela and I created the first Contract. We bound ourselves together as clan mates, and formed the Circle of Umbra, our Clan._

__

_Years passed since that hunt. Coela and I, we flourished and bloomed._

_Circle of Umbra grew exponentially. The clan now had two dozen members._

_We could've had more, but as I knew, a couple dozen well-trained warriors were far more capable than a ragtag band of two hundred idiots that were incapable of fighting efficiently._

_Coela was slightly put off by my incredibly slow aging process, but eventually, we fell in love. I had never felt this emotion before, and I doubted she had either._

_We fought it heroically, but it won._

_Coela and I married after the clan was twenty years old and beyond Rank SS._

_We had met another clan, Clan Centurio, and its owner, Montblanc, a moogle._

_Montblanc and I became the best of friends, and by his insistence, I became an honorary Clan Centurio Member._

_I was granted the Order of Ambrosia, the highest rank a hunter could achieve. Life was good. But I still hadn't found Father Elijah, and Coela had quickly forgotten her promise to me to help kill him._

_More time passed. I had finally found something with Coela. I found his Zodiac Spear, but no Elijah. I took his weapon for my own, and swore once more to destroy him._

_In all this time, I had honed my abilities. Training with Grand Kiltias Anastasis in the ways of the mind. I had travelled to the Tchita Uplands and trained with the village of what they called Ninjas. I was even trained to fight like the legendary Judge Magisters, after I met Bergan once. He ordered me to be trained by the other Judges as well. I killed legendary marks such as the Earth Tyrant wyrm, and the Shadowseer, a corrupt sorcerer that claimed godhood. Magic was no mystery to me._

_Coela and I had managed to create a HQ for our Clan, hidden deep within the Waterways. I even found another esper. His name escapes me still. __Cúchulainn__, or something. A large, eyeless, green grotesque monster that sapped my strength even as I walked across to fight him. He was a difficult foe._

_However, even as I defeated him, he was unable to provide me with information, so I gave him to Coela as a wedding gift._

_Soon, The Circle Of Umbra was feared as one of the greatest and strongest Clans in Ivalice, remarkable considering our small membership and rigorous training._

_Life was perfect._

__

…_I met someone today. A boy. He was a recruit of Clan Centurio. Called himself Fiera, though most called him "Big Bucket". After much conversation with Montblanc, he revealed that the kid was an admirable hunter, though rash at times. He also requested I keep an eye on him._

_I did so, following him stealthily on every hunt. He never suspected a thing. Coela also commented on his skills, saying she "liked the boy's spirit"._

…_I hate to admit it, but the kid IS growing on me. Funny, considering we've never talked and he doesn't know the first thing about me._

__

_What am I saying? Have I gotten soft in my old age? Big Bucket is a window to a different time. I have a job to do._

_Montblanc has asked me to do something. Something I have never done before. He has asked me to find and defeat Zodiark, the most powerful of all Espers and Scions. It was a suicide mission. Only one thing TO do._

_I accepted._

__

…_.Blasted moogle. He VASTLY misjudged the creature's power. I lost after a long and deadly struggle._

_But he did much worse in return for my mistake in fighting him._

_He used his powers of Darkja and Scathe to burn my face beyond recognition. Should I be exposed too long to the elements and the air, I will die._

_What do I do?_

__

_Coela…forgive me. To shield my burns, I did something I should never have tried._

_I experimented with magicks far too much._

_I created a __**mask**__, suitable to my needs and reputation. I carved it out of the white stone of the Pandemonium guardian of Pharos. The red lines trailing up the eyes from the blood of the Slyt, Fish Guardian of the Pharos. I used the blade of the Lion-like Fenrir, Guardian of Pharos, to carve magick bindings on the back of the mask to forever bind it to my face. The ash and flames of the Phoenix Guardian of Pharos to forever consecrate the mask in the power of Sun and Darkness._

_However, something went wrong. The mask was bound to my face as planned and the magicks worked properly. But it did something to me. It wreathed me in shadow. It gave me immense strength, speed, and pure skill. It increased my power tenfold._

_But it forever made me cursed. Hated by the Gods. Consigned to join Ultima in her fate as a fallen traitor of the Gods. I cast my faith in them down. And made me a cursed man._

_Coela…I love you more than life itself. The decades we have spent together have far surpassed the 3000 years of service I have dedicated to the Esper._

_So…forgive me…_

__

_Things have changed. The Circle of Umbra has lost itself in darkness as I lead it. We became the stuff of legends, nothing more. They became obsessed with their own secrecy and power._

_Coela, meanwhile, had changed. Fallen into darkness as well. Over the entire time we fell in love, she bore three children to me, all of them after my binding to the mask._

_They quickly grew, much faster than they should've, and incredibly powerful._

_I grew detached more and more from this world as the mask slowly ate me from inside and forced me to feed on the darkness and light._

_The Circle now worshipped me. They tattooed accurate replicas of the mask onto their face. Coela sported an exact copy of my mask marked onto her face._

_Something amusing occurred._

_The hunter I mentioned earlier, Big Bucket, allowed his rashness to become his downfall as I predicted. Montblanc and I watched as Fiera was dragged from the Clan Hall by his former allies, and how he swore that he would create a clan better than Centurio's._

_I dismissed it, thinking it a vengeful and pathetic ramblings of a prideful child. Montblanc thought otherwise._

_No matter. They will not interfere with my Clan's activities so they are no longer my problem, or so I thought. Montblanc requested me to keep an eye on him._

_I obliged._

__

…_I am worried. I had a conversation with another Centurio member today. A high-ranking hunter that called herself Aerith._

_I had seen her training Big Bucket many years ago. She was and is quite powerful._

_She was optimistic of his potential to become great. However…she markedly acted odd. She could detect what others couldn't as a powerful mage. She could see my darkness._

_I don't trust her. She is the only one thus far to see so clearly into me. I will have to silence her if she continues to gaze beyond my mask, no matter the consequences._

__

_Hmph…it appears that Big Bucket isn't kidding. He has been posting petitions for clan members everywhere._

_Much time has passed. Big Bucket has created an amazingly respectable Clan. However…a certain member intrigues me. This one he dubbed "Happy". She hides something dark._

_I do not know what…but I will be keeping a close eye on her._

_Anyway…the kid got into a fight with a rival clan, "Ghost Sect". Those idiots are nothing but blowhards. I'd deal with them myself if I wasn't so busy keeping an eye Aerith and Happy._

_It didn't take long for the kid to finally beat them , and learn magick, too._

_I was markedly surprised Zalera the Death Seraph took part in this._

_I met him once while in the service of the Esper._

_He was powerful…more than powerful. How he lost to their leader, I have no idea…though I do take slight impression in his Chess Piece magicks._

_Either way…Big Bucket is doing admirably well._

__

…_I have need of something. Many years ago, I met and befriended Gilgamesh. Aerith is becoming too troublesome. I will "arrange" the theft of Montblanc's sword (temporarily) in order to attract Aerith. Hopefully she comes alone._

_If not…they may be seriously injured. I suppose I will remain to keep an eye on them._

_I already have arranged the plan. I also have provided Montblanc with the necessary amount of gil to oversee this. I feel…bad about doing this to him, but Aerith cannot reveal my true nature, or I am doomed to become prey._

__

_Blasted fools...Biig Bucket accompanied her. She nearly fell to Gilgamesh, but he managed to save her and drive Gilgamesh off. Perhaps he does have the makings of an S rank…his talents are wasted, anyhow, on B-rankings._

_I…suppose Aerith can live longer. I will have to avoid her, though._

_Poor Enkidu…_

__

_I have finally done it. I am finished with the war mongering and rage boiling inside the Circle of Umbra. I left the organization…but barely. I trained my clan mates well. I had to kill three of my own…family in order to escape. Coela is furious._

_Now that my three sons: Umbra, Penumbra, and Abyss…I freed them. They are the three that detected my plan to escape. I had to kill my own children. The Gods truly have cursed me. I must run._

_My only option. Clan Centurio…and Aerith are too risky. That leaves only one: Clan INFAMOUS. I cannot allow my legacy to fall with me. Elijah is not dead. That much is clear to me, and something tells me my Master is sending me a message that joining Big Bucket will allow me to find him and finish him once and for all._

_But should I tell him? Should I say that I have been watching over him from Day 1? No. Better they see me as another Happy…just quieter. However, I have doubts here, too._

_Aerith shows up every once in a while. Sly will undoubtedly recognize my training as a Ninja. Tower will recognize my training as a Judge, Tall Ears and Stitches will recognize the Viera influence Coela has had on me. It may be likely that Butterfingers will know the style of magic I use. Happy and Zalera may see my darkness the second they meet me. Vayne…Vayne will instantly see what is inside me. What I am cursed/blessed with._

_But do I have a choice?_

_No._

__

_I have been on the run. Circle of Umbra hunters have been trailing and attacking me constantly. I can easily hide, but they were trained by me. They are difficult to defeat even by ME._

_Another problem. I have arrived on the beach my remaining intelligence agents have reported Big Bucket to be on, and he appears to be in trouble._

_Do I help him?_

_I suppose I will._

_I just have to find the right moment._

__

_My name is Abraham._

_I may be cursed, but I will not fall to my clan mates. They are opportunistic fools. The Circle of Umbra is nothing more than legend. I am nothing more than legend._

_I suppose…in the end it is up to me to finally remind Ivalice who I am._

_Elijah can wait._

__

_**ABRAHAM**_

_**NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:**_

_**This character is part of another author's storyline. I give K Entertainment full credit for all characters and events that he created, and I am currently requisitioning his approval of Abraham's story, and he is entirely authorized to make any changes he wishes to this story and his.**_

_**The story is Clan INFAMOUS: Help Wanted, if you are curious to know.**_

_**THE UNDYING CRYSTAL**_


	2. Entry II

_Primo. What an interesting name for a hunter, yet so accurate. Fiera has proven himself to be a powerful warrior._

_I recently learned of the incident that happened earlier…Tall Ears and her sacrifice. It reminds me of what happened in the Paramina Rift six years ago._

_How Coela tried to sacrifice herself in order to distract the White Chocobo mark we hunted._

_We never finished that hunt. The mark escaped, though I claimed a trophy—one white feather that remains today my favorite and most reliable ink pen._

_Coela, from that fight, was badly wounded. She retains three scars underneath her right eye from the Chocobo's talons, but she was nearly slit open at her stomach when she distracted it. How many wolves and monsters did I fight off as I waited for help as she bled to death upon the white?_

…_I miss the old days. Before Zodiark. Before Elijah. Before I stood at Ultima, the High Seraph's lair in Giruvegan's Great Crystal._

_No. I cannot reveal too much._

_Primo does deserve to know about me. He has earned it. But…what will happen now? How would he react if he knew I had been keeping an eye on him since Day 1 as he started as a hunter? With anger? Surprise? Sorrow?_

_But I know he must learn the past of Abraham, The Watcher in the Wings._

_Ranks mean nothing at this point. 3 years ago, I was regarded as a hunter beyond ranking. SSS Ranking was nothing more than a trifling title to me._

_Now…this world has forgotten me. Elijah is as far away from my grip as the day when I emerged, naked, from Zertinan Caverns._

_And all I have to show for it is this Spear. I have spent months upon years studying its origins and how Elijah came to possess it._

_All I know is the Zodiac Spear is a powerful, ancient weapon meant to defeat even Scions such as my Master, and even ones like Zodiark._

_However, my strength wanes. Even as I write these words with my favorite White Chocobo feather pen…I feel old. Even the Mask of Hunger and Darkness cannot stem age forever._

_I know what I must do to survive. The Mask has whispered it. To continue living, I must suck out the soul of another living creature and consume it, thereby increasing my power and life force._

_In the end…I have done it. A distasteful act of darkness, it was. He was an innocent man. I didn't….I didn't even mean to do it. The Hunger came over. It took control. Next thing I realized, I was standing over his lifeless body feeling oddly…rejuvenated. I felt strong, as I was 20 years ago._

_And so it has happened; every month, I must consume a soul to survive and not deteriorate into nothingness._

_This Mask is nothing but evil and corruption…yet I need it to survive. Perhaps I will remove it. But only when my task is done._

_I must deliver this message._

_**Fiera…if you are reading this, I am likely dead. I either was finally killed by someone or something greater than I, or I had the courage to remove my Mask. Either way…I need your help desperately.**_

_**My earlier journal entry mentions I killed my three sons—Umbra, Penumbra, and Abyss. I was telling the truth.**_

_**However…I…I have another child.**_

_**As I wandered one day across Rabanastre, I met a young woman named Galatea. She was…pure. Full of light. I was drawn to her as magnets coming together.**_

_**Galatea was something we called a "Silver-eyed", or just a Silver.**_

_**Either way…I was infatuated.**_

_**She and I grew closer over several years…**_

_**Either way…she became pregnant.**_

_**However…this child was far different.**_

_**I named her Deneve.**_

_**She grew quickly, only taking a few years to get to your age range.**_

_**I could see so much of both of us in her.**_

_**She has silver eyes, blonde hair that has been cut quite short.**_

_**Most would know her as Deneve of the Silver Moon.**_

_**She inherited her looks from her mother. However, she is different inside. I found she possessed strength equal to mine, capable of lifting even a claymore with one hand easily.**_

_**Her speed is also remarkable, along with her incredible healing abilities. Her powers are far beyond what I expected.**_

_**Deneve also grew to be incredibly intelligent; I discovered that she effortlessly solved some of the most complex puzzles in Ivalice.**_

_**Deneve created her own hunting clan—Knights of the Silver Moon—and has taken it to a respectable level singlehandedly, despite her only accepting female members. She has also fought many powerful monsters on occasion; I have several reports suggesting she may have defeated Exodus, a powerful esper living the Mosphoran Highwastes. She took part in the Great Hunt, a group of hunters attempting to slay the Behemoth King.**_

_**However…Yiazmat. A terrible name…one that strikes fear into even the most bloodthirsty hunters and warriors. Deneve and her clan are fierce…devotees of the God of Wyrms. They worship him to a dangerous extent.**_

_**I need you…in the event of my death or request, to find Deneve and bring her under your care. Tell her who her father truly is. Allow her to escape my fate.**_

_**Should you need to find her, Deneve's clan HQ is primarily located in Nalbina.**_

_**Go there, and find the short-cut blonde-haired, silver-eyed, woman with a white uniform and a blade most know now as Excalibur.**_

_**Deneve is quiet, reasonable, but fierce at times.**_

_**Be on your guard, Primo.**_

_My apologies for the long request, but I must be able to rest easy knowing you are taking care of my daughter (although she is technically older than you are) and that she knows who I am._

_I shall include my will in the next entry. Fiera…Big Bucket…Primo…however you wish to be called, I beseech of you: continue my work. This world is worth saving. With you, Ivalice has a fighting chance. Do not follow in my footsteps to darkness. Carve your own path in destiny. Save my daughter._

_And I want you to remember: no matter who you are…do not forget to find someone. Your legacy is one that shall be remembered. Let your grandchildren and their grandchildren's grandchildren remember that I walked among dragons. Let them say I wielded the Zodiac Spear. Let them say I walked with Primo._


	3. Entry III

_Hmmm…my informant tells me Primo looks for me now. Fitting that I would search for him, and he would search for me!_

_I have decided to test him. The Pharos is too unstable after I killed Shadowseer and those fools destroyed the Sun-Cryst._

_I have arrived at Giruvegan quite quickly. The creatures there well remember me, and step aside._

_I gave the order to guard against him. He will fight every step of the path, as I did._

_I have also opted to enter the Great Crystal. If he is so powerful…perhaps it would be fitting to test his ability to solve the puzzle._

_I await at Crystal Peak, Ultima's lair. Ultima is one Primo has never faced, and will make for interesting battle._

…_Primo…if you should find these journals, do me the favor…find Deneve._

_The Mask hungers again. I suppose I will have to consume yet another soul in due time. I am, however weakened. Primo will, apparently, not fight me at full strength after all._

_Ultima and I…will Primo defeat me? Will Clan Infamous be able to help me find Elijah and my Master?_

_But I am unsure that I will serve once more. I will free the Wroth, nothing more._

_Find me, Primo. Find me and free me._


	4. Entry IV

_I was monitoring Clan INFAMOUS HQ, and something happened._

_Somehow Fiera's parents located him. It was not a heartfelt reunion for him._

_They apparently gave him up at some point, leaving him on the streets. I…can't say I approve of either side's feelings at this point right now._

_Hmmm…however, I must say it took me much thought to see the fight between Stitches and Aerith over his affection._

_I must admit, I did have a bit of satisfaction seeing Aerith so…weak. How she was strong enough to see beyond my Mask…tarnished by this emotionality she displayed so eagerly._

_Emotions…love…caring…friendship._

_Those are notions I abandoned long ago. Notions I have no interest in reviving._

_But…I remember the sensations. How different it felt when…Deneve was born._

_Her mother…Maria…forgive me, wherever you are now._

_I hungered for it…I didn't realize what I would do._

_I was in love with her…she was beautiful. Much like Coela before her fall into darkness._

_And so we procreated. Even as I made love to her, I had no idea what would happen. Eventually, Deneve was born. Maria died during the birth as a side-effect._

_I cared for Deneve for several years, but she grew very fast. I left her in the care of someone I trust and know very deeply. One known to others as "The Phantom". As I see it today, Deneve has become very strong, fast, and smart. She searches for me still...but she cannot find me._

_I miss her._

…_What?_

_WHAT!_

_This…this FEELING?_

_NO! NO! I will not SUBMIT!_

_NO!_

…_I…almost gave into my emotions. No. My choices destroyed the last chance of my life coming back. The Mask of Hunger is all I am at this point. However…I need a soul to regain my power. Thankfully, that upstart __Hideyoshi Toyotomi delayed him. I now fight at full strength._

_I have returned to Giruvegan. It took a while to find a suitable victim._

_Anyways…I know what Primo wants from me. He wants my help in fighting Toyotomi. I remember that son of a bitch._

_The Toyotomi Clan and I have a history. One I'd rather forget._

_Anyway…I wonder if the boy will remember me. Hideyoshi is strong…but that is his weakness. He thinks himself unbeatable._

_I am unsure of whether I could defeat him myself…but I will sure as hell try if he gets in my way._

…_There is another problem. I have detected several travelers in the south. I know they are not travelers. Coela and the Circle of Umbra are here to destroy me._

_Hopefully, Primo's arrival will allow me to escape once more._

_Meanwhile…I have decided. Deneve must be found. Quickly._

_I know Hideyoshi may know she is my daughter. That makes her a priority. She shares my power, my skill, and my abilities. If he finds her...I may not be able to stop him._

_But mark my words, Toyotomi…if you harm her in any way…I will cast down my humanity. I will annihilate you and your pitiful clan. You will burn slowly._

_I will devour your soul and scatter your filth to the winds. I will ensure you are erased forever._

_Excuse me for the outburst. I...Deneve is the only thing I have left to "live" for…_

_Anyways…I have been continuing my research into possible reasons Elijah would've attacked the espers._

_I discovered a most curious term…one that struck terror into even my heart. One that scares even me. Something I realized. Verde…you're not the only piece of the Occuria. Perhaps that is how an old man defeated us easily. What is a piece like Verde…attempted to do the same to an old man like Elijah…similar to what Verde did to Narisse? What if Elijah won?_

_Father Elijah…wields the power of the Occuria. I realize that now._

_But what has the power of all thirteen Espers done to the old man?_

_That single word answered it. One most would not be familiar with._

_The word?_

"_**Ascended"**_


	5. Entry V

_Something odd has happened._

_One of the Dark Five has returned. Sylvia of the Faint Melody._

_She was dead. Relek claimed her dead._

_Either way, it appears she has forsaken them much like I have._

_I wonder what she wants with me…_

_Anyway…I suppose you want to know more about the Dark Five, Primo, if you're reading this now._

_The Dark Five was the leading group in the Circle of Umbra. They decided everything when it came to wars, dealing with clans, and important matters. Coela and I led them as the true leaders._

_I will tell you their names and rank, as well as some general information on them._

_Abraham, Seeker of the Abyss: That was my title back then. Most knew me by that title, and feared my Mask as a result. Of course, I cast down that title as I left the Circle, and became known to the general populace as The Watcher in the Wings._

_Coela, Ebony Raven of Oblivion: My former wife and lover. She leads them now, as the strongest of them all. She has been hunting me for a few years now. I suppose it's due to the fact I had to kill our three children to escape. Either way, don't underestimate her power. She is easy to see as a weak target._

_Relek, Overwhelming Colossus of Hatred: A bangaa that once served under us. He was one of the strongest and most well-trained Monks in Ivalice, and was known for his brute strength. His particular ability was…intriguing. No matter what injury we dealt to him, his hatred and anger allowed him to continue fighting. However, this power left him arrogant and dangerously psychotic. He was the one that slaughtered Sylvia's village. As soon as he returned and reported her dead, I promptly decapitated him which was the one way to truly kill him. Bastard had it coming._

_Sylvia of the Faint Melody: Our youngest and one of our most powerful members. Her skill with blades rivals mine. One might say her former three-katana style of fighting was a precursor to your style of using several weapons. However, before the time I escaped, she chose to leave as well. Relek scarred her along her right eye, and slaughtered her former village. I warned him that he wasn't supposed to do things like that. He didn't listen, so I executed him as he tried to usurp my position as Clan Master. The fool was overconfident, and I easily cut his head off. I thought Sylvia had died by his hand, but I was wrong…_

_Phoeba, Wicked Eraser of Betrayal: A rather young Gria. She didn't actually take much part in our council matters unless it required all of us, preferring her duties as what I used to fondly call "Retirement from the Circle". I am sad to say no-one ever retired or quit. No one. So, Phoeba deals with executing the former Circle members. She was rather put off when I killed Relek myself. However, her most powerful skill was her ability to cause a deadly fear among her foes with a rather unique power I dubbed "Phoebus Renata". I have no idea what happened to her, and I want you to be careful. Phoeba is someone you don't want to fight or cross. In my…darker years, I have sent Phoeba to be a destroyer. She has destroyed clans that rivaled that upstart's in size and in power. Do not underestimate her._

_And to put a special note; you may have noticed Sylvia wears a midnight-black coat that doesn't quite put off the right feeling? That is what I call the "Xiphos Cloak". All members of the Dark Five wear them, and they take the shape of what the user's personality fits. Mine is much like a cloak, but versatile as a melee fighter's armor. Sylvia's takes the appearance of a travelling coat. Coela's cloak takes an appearance of a set of torn robes (Hers is unique due to the fact she has bonded it to her very body. That's why she wears nothing underneath or above). Relek's took the appearance of black metal armor, much like Judge Bergan's, but without the helm. Phoeba's takes the general appearance of an small cloak with a short skirt. If you should find a Xiphos, do not touch it. Only those willing to immerse themselves in darkness and damnation will truly master it. You would be destroyed from the inside._

_Verde, the broken shard of Venat, was what I call a Xiphos Cloak in some ways. He took control of Narisse much like the Xiphos would to anyone in the light. Do not touch them._

_You probably wish to know why Sylvia still wears the cloak, don't you? She cannot take it off, no matter how much she redeems herself. She fights a daily battle within herself to resist the cloak, and that is why her eyes haven't turned gold, the color of Ra the Sun-Child._

_Thank you for reading through this, Primo. I want to let you know; I believe in you. I do have to warn you about one more thing. I cannot write it in something as insecure as in this journal. Perhaps my next entry will reveal what you must know._


	6. Entry VI

_I had another nightmare. This time it was about my children. How they died, and how I killed them._

_It had been a relatively quiet night. Peaceful. Happy._

_I had waited, hiding in the shadows at the entrance to our clan hall in the Waterways. At midnight, my time came._

_I fled the sewers, escaping all the way to the main platform. I believe this was where that orphan Vaan and his companions were captured after fighting that Fire spirit, the one that took the form of a horse. Naturally, this happened long before then, but most wouldn't know the place._

_However…my sons were as intelligent as I. They knew of my plan to escape and disappear, and went to intercept me._

"_Hello, Father." I heard my oldest son, Umbra, speak quietly._

_I turned to face him, and silently groaned. Penumbra, my second son, had quietly sealed the only way out and guarded the switch. Finally, Abyssal the youngest and most powerful flanked my right._

"_Leaving. I suggest you do the same, my corrupted children." I replied politely._

"_You're not going anywhere. You have a duty to the clan." Penumbra retorted. It wasn't a surprise to me, as he was the one who seemed obsessed with loyalty._

"_What clan? This Mask is the one controlling everything. I have to find a way to destroy it and free myself and you of this curse." I growled._

_They were taken aback. Long had they been absorbing the pure darkness and hatred of the Mask of Hunger. More than anything...they didn't want to lose it._

"_You…you bastard. You would cast such infinite power away? You fear it?" I heard Abyssal manage to speak through his anger._

"_You weak old man!" Umbra roared._

"_If you cannot handle it, I'LL TAKE IT FOR YOU!" Abyssal exploded, and launched himself towards me, unsheathing four ninja blades as he leapt off the higher ledge._

"_You…you dare attack your own FATHER?" I roared back, and used the Zodiac Spear to block his furious attack._

"_I lost my father the moment you were too weak to comprehend such power!" He retorted angrily and pressed his attack, making me strain slightly._

"_Time to leave this world, Father!" Umbra whispered as he attacked me with his greatsword, Save the Queen._

_I scoffed a moment, and unlinked the Spear, turning it into two shorter spears._

"_You're good, but not that good, boy." I mocked him humorously, and the two growled in anger._

"_Grrr…just die!" Penumbra yelled, whipping his powerful staff out and launching a deadly lightning bolt towards me._

"_Pffft. I taught you that spell, and therefore I know the way to redirect it." I reproached him, and managed to shift my two spears a little. The lightning was attracted to the metal and streaked upwards. The handles were coated with an electric suppressant, but the edges weren't. The magic electricity streaked upwards and shocked my two foolish sons, throwing them back and injuring them greatly._

"_I'm leaving. Now do me a favor and stay down." I advised before kicking Penumbra the mage in the face, incapacitating him._

_I calmly opened the gate, and began walking out._

"_YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Umbra screamed and the three attacked for one last time._

_It was quick, but time had felt like it had stopped entirely. I knew even if I freed us of the Mask, it wouldn't free them of darkness. So it had taken me over a year to make a decision for their own good._

"_Sorry…my sons. You three were one of the few things that kept me going. I will miss you forever." I whispered quietly._

_I softly put the Zodiac Spear into one whole, and swung it backwards. I then sliced to the left, and finished by driving it upwards._

_In that one fluid second, I had sliced Umbra open, gutted Penumbra, and impaled the Spear into Abyssal's heart._

"_Guh…" Umbra coughed and died before he could realize what happened, then promptly fell into the canal._

"_Gaa..ah…" Penumbra cried, unable to believe he had died. Unlike his brother, he simply fell over clutching his wound as he slowly died._

"_Gaaah…you…you…you're…a…monster…" Abyssal slowly spoke, lasting longer._

"_We're both monsters. The difference is that I hesitated to kill my own family." I whispered into his ear, giving him a small hug before taking the Spear out of his heart. He died in a few minutes, the wound only ever so lethal._

"_Goodbye, my sons. May the gods grant you fair judgment." I spoke as I walked out the Waterways, and into the crowded streets of Lowtown and Rabanastre beyond._

_And that is how it happened. I pray that my sons received fairness in their judgment, and that I take their sins upon myself._

_Thank you, Primo. Thank you for giving me something to live for._


	7. Entry VII

_The Phantom._

_An imaginative name, but due to her particular ability, I'll hold judgement._

_Who would guess that the legendary Phantom is actually Miria, former Judge Magister of the Archadian Empire._

_She was unique among the Silver-Eye Corrupted in her ability to move extremely fast, even able to disappear into thin air and leave a silhouette, earning her that nickname._

_She and I fought once._

_It was during the final battle between the Bahamut and the rebel army. She was there to observe and study. I was there because I wanted a fight. And there we fought. She was incredibly skilled with her claymore, wielding the heavy two-handed blade with one hand easily. We fought for several hours, and neither of us scratched the other._

_It was a coy move, to be sure._

_The platform we were fighting on was about to be shared. We could see Vayne making his way across the bridge, weakened and beaten even with the manufacted nethicite._

_Naturally, neither of us wanted to be seen, but she acted first._

_She took off my Mask. I was too surprised to react as she gave me a quick kiss and pushed me off the edge, sending me plummeting several thousand feet from the topmost platform of the Bahamut to the ground._

_I managed to get the Mask back on and survive the fall…but I was intrigued. No one but those touched by darkness could stand to even look at the Mask for a long period of time._

_It was an impulse. We saw each other for several years, even though I was married to Coela. Even after I escaped, she took me in. I…I shame myself by admitting this, but she bore a child. My child. A girl this time._

_I named her Deneve. She was touched by the darkness, not consumed in it like I am._

_I decided she would not benefit from my presence after much thought. She will train to become an Ascended Blade, like her mother. However, she cannot know that Miria is her mother, nor can she know I am her father._

_I…I pray to whatever god that may exist…that she overcomes her darkness. I cannot let her share my other children's fate. She deserves more than that._

_However, I was able to gain some form of experience from this; Miria taught me how to use her ability to move extremely fast, leaving a image in her place…the one that earned her the nickname "Phantom Miria"._

_I'm not nearly as fast or as good at it as her, but it is incredibly powerful…and very draining. Every time I use it, the time I have to meditate is increased drastically._

_I suppose if you are reading this, Primo, I imagine you have noticed many of my journals are unreadable to your eyes. I would prefer you do not read them…they are records I made of…when I was darker. When I succumbed to the Mask for that short time. The things I did then…would make even the most forgiving person strain._

_Memories…are important…but that's all they are, aren't they?_

_But unfortunately…that is all I have…memories, and an organ to play._


	8. Entry VIII

_Oh, blast it._

_Something is wrong._

_I could sense it all the way from Giruvegan._

_The Mother Breigh is awakened. Or returned, if you prefer that mystic tone._

_Either way, my calculations cannot be wrong. Less than two days until the war. Toyotomi is definitely going to be surprised._

_And as for you, Primo, I'm quite sure you've figured out the purpose of this war. The REAL purpose._

_It took me a week to figure it out, talking to contacts and spies I have within the clans._

_Don't worry, my friend, I keep a personal eye on you. No spies if that relieves you._

_However…I suppose I am out of the Elixirs that keep the Zodiac Spear sharp and charged. Perhaps a visit to the Salika Viera is in order…_

_Anyway, I am slightly irate at the lack of arrival of those hunters._

_I have NO idea where the hell Primo is, or any of his clan members._

_That's my decision. I will restock on my Elixirs, then I'll start looking for that headstrong little…_

_I wonder where Sylvia went off to…she travels all over Ivalice to play that violin and sing. It's a wonder she hasn't attracted attention from the Circle, considering she sounds like an angel when she sings._

_Coela is planning something, however. I've been checking into her recent activities, and she is doing a lot of construction, gathering weaponry, upping the training, and several other suspicious things. She has only grown more vengeful since we last fought three months ago in Archadia._

_She has further submitted into darkness, and I fear she will stop at nothing to ensure I die by her hand._

_Of course, I don't plan to die anytime soon. And what I don't plan, doesn't happen. Everything has been thought of. I have even written these entries in Ancient Garif, a dialect only some could even hope to decipher._

_Either way, goodbye Giruvegan, for a while at least. I go to the Salikawood, or somewhere else to find that reckless Clan Infamous._


	9. Entry 0

"_Well, well…the great Abraham still lives." I heard the sarcastic yet friendly voice ring out._

"_Alastor. Nice to see you again so soon, and I apologize for calling you on such short notice." I greeted slightly irksome._

"_You make good use of the info I'm giving you on Clan Infamous. As I said, it's their overall rank, their criminal records, everything down to the backgrounds of their backgrounds." He smiled before handing me the file containing these important facts._

_I opened it and let out a smile beneath the Mask before tossing it in the fire._

_He instantly pulled out a smaller, more compact yet stronger version of the Fomelhaut that had been adjusted into a pistol-like weapon._

"_I knew you didn't need the info. I had a feeling you've been keeping a VERY close eye on their activities and history. Big Bucket, Tall Ears, every one of those idiots there that is still alive or is worm food." He smirked evilly._

"_Correct. I'm just calling you here to ask you about Elijah." I replied simply, and he took on a brief expression of fear and surprise but broke it off quickly._

"_Him? Everyone works for Elijah, Abraham. Everyone. You don't think that giant idiot Hideyoshi Toyotomi causing all that trouble and ruckus doesn't have ANYTHING to do with Elijah? Face it, old friend. He can't be beaten. And it's MY job to destroy anyone that might have a chance at derailing his plans." He explained irritably, and fired the gun. I let out a cry of pain as the bullet embedded itself into my heart._

"_That kind of caliber instantly kills a man." He bragged before reloading._

"_But I'm not a man." I answered as I moved so fast he wasn't even able to realize what had happened. All he knew was that I was behind him, with my Spear covered in blood._

"_Gah…gah…what are you?" He let out a loud bellow as he turned. However, though, he simply fell over. The fatal wound to his neck gushed blood._

"_Goodbye, Alastor." I quietly spoke before leaving his office and stepping into the streets of Rabanastre. Meanwhile, across the street, a young boy was walking along the street with a rather confused Viera. Both wore a special set of garments that clearly denoted them as hunters in a clan._

"_Fiera…please forgive me…" I whispered as I watched them, standing underneath the statue of Mephalo, the god of omniscience that soars the skies with his wings._

"_This day…this hour…this very minute…Abraham, the Watcher in the Wings rises. The Seeker of the Abyss will not win again. This Mask is not going to win again." I softly whispered, looking at him before disappearing into the shadows._


	10. Star Crossed Lovers

"Mmmm…Abraham?" Miria sighed groggily as she reached her hand to the other side of the bed.

She sat up, and wasn't surprised to find he was gone.

However, she did see him standing on the balcony.

Miria quietly got out of bed, deciding against putting on her uniform or any clothes, and went to him.

She had scarcely arrived when he turned, and embraced her.

"Couldn't sleep?" She asked.

"I never do. I never can…but I cannot figure out whether it is a question of that." He answered, holding her naked body tightly.

"What's happening, Abraham? I know you. You're tense as a Archadian senator." She whispered.

"Dark times are coming, Phantom Miria. Dark times." He answered quietly.

"Does this have to do with Hideyoshi Toyotomi?" She continued.

"You know what Alastor said. If Elijah has something…anything to do with that upstart, then he's in my sights." Abraham quietly replied.

They broke the embrace, Miria calmly walking back to the bed and dressing herself in the black suit she always wore.

Abraham put the Mask back on, letting out a loud of pure agony and pain as the Mask bonded itself to his body. The wind blew extremely violently for a few moments, and then it settled. He now wore a night-black cloak that covered his entire body. He looked less than human, somehow.

Abraham continued gazing out on the balcony.

Miria approached him and held his hand.

"Miria…I…thank you." He whispered.

"For what?"

"Bringing some light to this dark shell of a man." He answered.

"Thank you as well. I never thought I would be this happy with anybody…" She smiled.

Somehow, she could tell he was, too.

Abraham whispered a few words, and disappeared into the darkness to travel to his next destination.

Miria let out a sigh before retrieving her claymore, and promptly left through the balcony, jumping off the ten story building and landing softly on the hard stone ground before continuing onwards as well.


	11. Entry IX

_I was surprised to find that the elder was unable to provide me with the Recharging Elixir, claiming that the recent problem with a hunting clan prevented them from being able to synthesize it. This didn't worry me. I was only looking for a restock, and made sure to have a few bottles on hand at all times._

_I asked what the current problem was, as I was quite sure that the Mother Breigh had not been released yet._

_She said that a hunting clan called Nomagetsus or something equally weird had kidnapped one of their own, and another clan was attempting to get her back right now._

_Apparently that clan was obsessed with fighting the Mother Breigh and were willing to go to extreme lengths to get to her._

_However, I was shocked to find that Clan Infamous was the one that was fighting them._

_She told me that the location of their base was in the Necrohol of Nabudis. A place I knew quite well. I arrived there only an hour later._

_Apparently negotiations, if any, had failed._

_The old man had fallen to that…woman. Bah. I've known her kind, the whore of the hunting. I wouldn't have had mercy. But I suppose that's what separates me from him._

_The mage kid actually won a twofer. I'll have to keep an eye on that one…perhaps I could help her master her magicks._

_The Viera with the daggers was defeated, rather easily if you ask me. I haven't seen a shapeshifter in near thirty years. Either way, it was interesting._

_What surprised me was the white mage. She easily beat two of the strongest members of this enemy clan. Perhaps she shares a few qualities with…her._

_Primo won the battle in the end, defeating their leader after a rather long fight._

_They weren't finished._

_They managed to crawl off like the maggots they were to lick their wounds. Pah._

_It took all I had not to decapitate them the moment they left the room._

_Either way, my job was finished._

_Thankfully, during all this fighting and Archer's stay in those particular levels of Nabudis, nobody happened to find my secret room._

_Over three hundred million gil is stashed there, along with several weapons behind their comprehension of power. I checked, and it appears Archer did not find it. So much for the great "__Nomagestuss"._

_I followed the wounded Infamous all the way back to the village. I requested that the elder not mention me in any way, and she agreed._

_However, something new has concerned me._

_As they left, Coela appeared. With several other of my former subordinates._

_They warned Primo to stay away from me._

_Said I was a liar. A murderer. A deserter._

_Haha…perhaps I am a liar. Ra knows I'm a murderer. And I am a deserter for sure._

_I didn't have much of a choice._

_Coela doesn't take chances, so as soon as she left, I made my move._

_You wanted to meet me, Primo, and so you will._

_I hope you're ready for the big leagues, kid. Because the minute I join you, all hell will break loose._


	12. The Perfect Killer

"…AND SO CLAN INFAMOUS IS ONE OF THE FEW REMAINING CLANS TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT LEVEL…GZZRT!" The announcement screen clicked off with a sound of static.

"Ah, fuck Clan Infamous! You ladies are far more interesting!" Kizor laughed as he sat in the hot tub with several prostitutes.

The tub sat on a balcony that was several dozen stories high. The rest of Archadia's tall, distinct buildings were slightly shorter.

"I'll be right back…" One of them, a younger girl with short pink-dyed hair whispered, and stepped out of the tub. He impolitely slapped her naked wet rear as he watched her go until he concentrated on the others.

As she walked into his kitchen and began looking for food, a shadow dropped from the ceiling behind her.

Suddenly she found herself pinned against the wall, and gagged.

"Sorry…but a contract's a contract." She heard a quiet, slow voice. She suddenly let out a muffled squeal as she felt the attack drive a dagger into her back. As her vision darkened, she felt herself fall to the ground as the intruder walked away.

"Where the fuck is Lisette?" Kizor suddenly cut off the conversation.

"I'll check on her, honey." Another one of the prostitutes stood and walked towards the kitchen with an irritable glance.

That glance turned from one of irritation to surprise as the sound of slicing was heard.

Everyone's attention was suddenly rapt as they saw her turn around, blood pouring from her mouth in pale surprise, a fatal slit in her stomach.

Suddenly, she was kicked, and her corpse fell into the tub.

The other prostitutes screamed as the water stained red, her intestines spilling out.

Before the first ever reached the door, she was swiftly decapitated. The second had a blade put into her heart. The final one was dragged off into the kitchen.

Kizor was unable to move as he heard her last screams and the sound of slicing and stabbing.

"AAHH!" He finally screamed and jumped out of the tub, making a run for the other door.

He was suddenly kicked in the face and thrown backwards against the railing.

"The real crime is that four of these…whores had to die with you." She finally appeared. Wearing a black stealth-based suit, she also had a cape. She wore a pair of black boots and fingerless gloves. She also wore a hood, covered in intricate designs of ebony and had a curious mask. Her face was covered except for her eyes and forehead, which only showed pure darkness. Kizor could just barely see two white dots where her eyes were.

"W-who are you?" He whimpered and crawled away.

"Why should I tell you? You're dead, anyway." She spoke with a northern accent.

"P-please have mercy, ma'am!" He continued groveling pathetically.

"Call me Naome...for the short amount of time you're going to live." She finally responded, and removed her hood. The mask dissipated into mist, showing her face. She had grey skin, clearly strong and tempered to withstand the harsh northern lands. A Dunmeri. Like all her kind, she had deep red eyes, wearing warpaint that shadowed around her eyes and drew a line downwards, ending at her neck with both sides. She was also completely shaved bald.

"W-why…why are you doing this?" Kizor continued crawling away, secretly aiming for the sword he always hid under that bench…

"…Can't you idiots ever figure it out? I. Am. Hired. By. People. To. Kill. Other. People. That better?" She sighed irritably, and spoke slowly and mockingly.

"Too bad you fail!" He grabbed the blade and drove it into her abdomen.

"Gah!" She gasped, dark blood flowing out of the wound as he removed the blade, stepping back.

"Yeah…didn't think your goddamn target would have a fucking sword, did you?" He laughed arrogantly.

"Ahh…" She gasped still, stepping back a few paces and finally dropping to her knees.

"Time to die, bitch. I know a few necromancers back home in Rabanastre. I'll make sure you get delivered." He laughed evilly, and swung the blade downwards at her head.

"I'll pass." She replied bluntly and dodged the blade just barely before disappearing into the shadows.

"Whaa—?" He was caught off balance, and tried to remove his blade from the floor.

"But you've got a date with the ground floor. Ciao!" She suddenly appeared again with a bow, an arrow already ready.

"No, wait wait wait NOOO!" He cried out as the arrow pierced his heart, letting a loud cry of protest as he toppled over the railing and fell over two hundred and thirty three stories.

"Asshole." Naome spat and limped away.

As she reentered the kitchen, she saw the first prostitute whimpered, the knife still in her back.

"Oh…still alive, are we? Sorry about the knife and all, but I hate witnesses. Those lead to my being arrested. And that's very bad." Naome sighed apologetically and removed the knife slowly, her letting out a groan of pain as she did.

"But I suppose there is one thing you can still do for me…" She whispered, and kneeled down beside her.

Lifting the dying woman's head, she slowly elongated her fangs.

"P-please…help me." She whispered, her last words striking deaf ears.

Naome bit into her neck, and drank her fill of the dying girl's blood.

Her eyes turned a darker red as she slaked her thirst, and finally returned to normal.

She sighed as she felt the wound heal, leaving only a slit in her suit.

"Well…goodbye. If the guards get here in time, they might save you. But morning's coming. They take you outside, especially with what I've infected you with…they'll want to kill you pretty quickly." Naome smiled knowingly at the girl and left hastily.

She clipped a grappling hook on the side and jumped off the opposite edge from where she threw Kizor.

Soaring through the air calmly, she used her free hand to pull a small black device from her pocket.

"…Yes, it's me. Yeah. Kizor's dead. Send the ship. And hurry up. Don't leave me hanging." She spoke quickly and put it away.

A few minutes later, a small black ship burst out of the sky and Naome jumped onto it, and entered the vacant cockpit.

"Mark…3032 down. Mercury, have Saturn collect the pay. Someone owes us gil." She strapped herself in and began flying away, the black ship undetected by any Archadian ships or soldiers.

"Of course." The voice crackled through the on-ship radio.

"Good." She smiled briefly, but returned to a scowl in a few seconds.


	13. An Old Friend

"Looking a little down, aren't we?" I heard the familiar rough yet friendly voice echo through the bar.

I turned slowly.

"You're one to talk, Sasha." I responded flippantly.

The lycanthrope let out a chuckle.

"Been too long, I'd say. We haven't seen each other since Balamb." She smiled.

"Don't remind me of that. Student Council presidents, remnants of time witches…not to mention your acceptance of the curse." I let out a sigh.

Sasha was certainly an interesting person.

A pure white left eye, a result of her werewolf nature, was certainly a noticeable trait. She wore black ink that inked from the ends of her eyes down to her neck, stretching across her cheeks. She cut her hair extremely short, and her right eye was brown.

Not to mention, she was an incredibly powerful mage.

One of the most gifted I had ever met. A master of all forms of Magick.

She was also an expert at fighting with blades and using bows.

This woman was born to fight. That much I had learned from our first meeting.

"I see you decided to stay at the Citadel of Trials for a while. Last time we met you were eighteen. Now you are twenty three." I stretched.

"Yeah. Felt I needed it. Mobius…he is crazy. Or at least, was driving me crazy. I abandoned the Garden and SeeD. Accepted…this." She replied slowly, and showed me a pendant.

I knew in an instant.

"What…what have you damned yourself to, Sasha?" I asked shakily.

"I accepted the Mask of the Ravager. It needed a new wielder, much as your Mask of Hunger did." She explained simply, and sat next to me.

She wore an intricate set of armor, a stealth suit. Over it she wore a long black cloak that covered most of it.

"Abraham…why do you choose to wear it fully? You know you can change it to a pendant. I know you do." She asked.

"Because…Abraham is this face. The Watcher is this. Underneath this Mask…is nothing." I responded dismissively.

She let out a sigh.

"Look…I came here all the way from that godforsaken place to help you. Golbez is no longer a threat there. Elijah is." She began.

"Elijah is not a threat." I groaned.

She slammed her fist down on the table.

"Yes. He. Is. Do you know who he even is? What he has DONE?" She exclaimed forcefully.

"You know full well the answer." I growled.

"Not one mortal or even immortal since CREATION has inspired the fear he has. The SCIONS OF DARKNESS fear him. Do you know why?" She clenched her fists and continued.

"…" I didn't answer.

"Elijah is not human anymore, Abraham. He has become Ra's Chosen. He is immortal now. He is capable of killing another immortal now. That spear you wield is the key." She growled.

"The Zodiac Spear? What the hell does it have to do with this?" I looked at her in disbelief.

"It was made to kill gods. It is one of the few objects made from pure Orichalcum. The unbreakable metal. It is the one thing that can truly kill a god. If Elijah gets it from you…a darkness will fall upon all of creation that has never been seen before. Ra gave him power. The Espers know this. They have known his brutality. His cold calculating world. If he rules…there will be no redemption. No redemption." She finished, and sat down shakily.

"I see. But Elijah is sealed away in Jylland. No one's going to find him in the Graveyard." I sighed.

"I hope you are right. I hope you are right. Anyway, I came here to invite you to dinner. Try to come human, will you?" She squeezed my hand and walked out quietly.

I sighed. Only one thing was clear.

"Bartender." I called.

I needed a drink.


	14. Dinner and Zombies

I sighed uncomfortably as I entered the building.

I was unused to wearing my human clothes again.

I wore my old gray uniform, my former CoU Master's Uniform to be precise. It was a simple set of armored robes, but was stronger than one would think.

My graying hair was combed back, my Mask had turned into a black ring with gold, red, and white designs, which I rubbed anxiously.

"Abraham." I heard a voice, and turned.

Sasha was dressed in an intricate set of formal robes. A light gray-blue and a simple light grey triangle-shaped poncho-like cloth draped over her front and back. The skirt was short and one side had a cut, to enable unhindered movement.

"Thank you for coming. This way." She smiled and led me to the table.

"What will you be ordering today, you two?" The waiter approached us and asked.

"I'll have a cut of Behemoth Steak. Easy on the seasoning this time, Edward." Sasha ordered blithely.

"I'll have the same, but half." I answered quietly.

"Thank you." He bowed and strode off.

"You look handsome tonight. Much better than hidden under that Mask." She smiled coyly.

"Thank you. I would have to say the same. I prefer this form to your…other." I responded coolly.

She held her smile.

"I'm trying to flirt with you, you moron. Have you noticed?" She didn't change her expression.

"And I am wondering whether you have noticed that half of the patrons in this room are here to kill us. Not to mention that a rather disturbing incursion of zombies is about to occur in the kitchen." I continued distractedly.

She muttered a few curses under her breath in a different language, one that I had no care to identify in my cranial lexicon at this time as I studied the other customers secretly.

"Shit." I whispered as I saw the waiter walk into the kitchen.

"Sasha…when I say to do so, attack the three tables behind you." I whispered.

"Great…just great." She curses in reply.

"Now." I spoke loudly.

We both flipped our chairs and threw them at the tables near us.

I easily pierced one of the assassins with my spear, and Sasha fried a few others with lightning bolts.

The rest of the people simply surrounded us.

"Seems a little more than half, Abe." Sasha quipped.

"Sorry. A little distracted by the disaster about to occur." I apologized sarcastically.

I got down, and I couldn't help but smirk as the werewolf mage summoned a storm of lightning inside a restaurant and turned over twenty people into piles of smoldering ash.

I simply threw a small grenade I carried around always into the kitchen.

The resulting explosion and splatter of flesh all over us finished the brief battle.

I suddenly turned Sasha over and kissed her.

"By the way…yes, I did notice." I smiled, and cursed as I saw the zombies spilling onto the street.

"Goddamn it…you missed one, you cheeky bastard." Sasha rolled her eyes playfully.

"All yours." I bowed, and stepped aside.

She let out a howl as she transformed into a werewolf, the robes ripped apart as she bounded out the door and attacked them.

I simply poured myself a drink and started eating the steak.

It was probably poisoned. But hey…it was Behemoth Steak.


	15. Old Acquaintances

"DIE PRIMO!" It was only after I had completed the task and sped back to the battlefield did I hear Byakuran scream.

He was back to his human form, badly wounded and his scythe raised.

Primo was just as badly hurt, the Shard having been ripped from his eye socket.

Just as he prepared to finish off the boy I was protecting, I threw the Spear in an instant. Not even thinking, the Spear impaled itself into the "most powerful being's" forehead.

But then everything froze. Everything froze into a light-blue tinted existence.

Primo wasn't moving. Even Byakuran, who should've collapsed instantly, was frozen in time.

"Pathetic, truly. Even with the power I led him to acquire, he was STILL inadequate." I heard the familiar and dark voice.

I turned quickly, and he was there. Standing on a raised platform.

Victor Blackheart.

"VICTOR!" I roared in my fury, and lunged at him in a second's length, clearing several meters in mere moments.

In even less time I was slammed into the ground with a mere punch.

"Abraham, Abraham, Abraham…haven't you learned?" He smiled evilly, dropping to the ground.

He looked exactly the same as he did over ten years ago. Long black hair and the visible half of his face scarred. His eyes glowed bright yellow. His Xiphos cloak was still the same as well, the X symbol displayed prominently.

"How are you free?!" I managed to groan as I began to stand.

"There's only so long you can hold a lich, my foolish friend. Elijah freed me." He answered simply.

"Should've…known…it was you…" I swore in helpless anger.

"I gave Byakuran the power to conquer the world and destroy it. He was a fool chasing his own delusional madness. But he's defeated. You've interfered with my plans for the last time, Abraham." Victor explained slowly, and reached down.

"Gahh!" I choked as he easily gripped me by the throat.

"Let's see the man behind the Mask. That's who I want to kill." He pulled the Mask of Hunger off my face and cast the effigy of darkness to the ground nearby, leaving me helpless.

With a simple toss, I went flying several meters back and into a wall. In an instant he phased in front of me to grip my throat again.

"You're still just human, Abraham. Weak. Vulnerable. Mortal." He whispered darkly before punching me in the stomach.

It hurt. Enough to darken my vision.

Then he punched me again. And again.

I wasn't sure how many times he had done it by the time my limp and broken body was cast to the ground.

"Time to die, Seeker of the Abyss. Say hello to Noel for me." He smiled at me, and raised his arms in a grand gesture. Electricity flared from his palms.

A lightning bolt came down from the sky, aimed directly for what was left of me.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the blow.

But I only heard the sound of electricity magick slamming into a sword.

"Is that really it, Abraham? Are you just going to give up like that?" A familiar voice spoke. The slightly condescending yet well-meaning voice that I hadn't heard for more than a decade.

I opened my eyes and looked up.

Noel was standing next to me, stark naked aside from a simple leather sheath strapped to her shoulder, and wielding her claymore.

"WHAT!? YOU!" Blackheart screeched in blind rage and sent several bolts of lightning at her.

With a single swipe of her sword they were cast away and destroyed.

"How many times do I have to save you people…?" She muttered irritably and handed me the Mask.

"Thanks." I put it back on and stood.

"I'm going to kill both of you slowly. Especially her." Blackheart smiled angrily and took a stance, floating in the air.

"Got a weapon?" She asked, taking her own combative stance.

I reached out and a spear made of pure shadow formed. It was made in the likeness of the Zodiac Spear.

"I can't get the Spear back here. It's trapped in the real world." I explained, and took my stance.

"Nihilum est aeterna! You shall sink into the neverending ABYSS!" Blackheart attacked, phasing behind us.

"**Voidblade**!" I shouted, and I sent a slash of pure darkness from the spear towards him.

"**Windstorm**!" Noel spoke, and in a whirl she launched an extremely fast set of attacks against him.

"**Illi apud corda niger reget omnes**!" To our horror, a whirlwind of ice and frost formed around him and instantly slammed into us before our attacks could even land.

"**Deathstroke**!" I tried again, but I was down in an instant.

"**Quicksword**!" She used the famous technique that Noel had learned from Ilena so many years ago, sheathing her sword. All the eye could see was that she had her hand on her sword.

"Ita vultis, ad caderent? **Blizzaka Gladiis**!" He smiled and two swords, identical to hers, formed in his hands. Both were made of pure ice.

I struggled to get up, and continued to watch as the two combatants fought with all their strength.

Blackheart was moving at impossible speeds to match the sheer agility of the Quicksword, and amazingly managed to match it.

He was the only one I've ever seen that could even match the speed of her technique.

The duel ended with her landing a blow finally on his shoulder.

He backed off, the swords disappearing.

"You may have fought me off for now…but you will be doomed. Mark my words. BEGONE!" He growled angrily, and disappeared in a flash of blackness.

I managed to stand and limp my way over to Noel.

She had fallen to her knees.

"Thank you…Noel?" I sensed it almost immediately.

Her dark energy was way above the no-return point.

She turned her head my way.

"…I'm sorry. I had to go beyond my limits to drive him off. Ghosts of the past." She whispered.

"What do you mean, ghosts?" I asked curiously.

"That wasn't him. It was a memory made real formed from our experiences with him. Blackheart isn't even in Ivalice fully. He's everywhere. Spira…Ivalice…Gaia…he's free." She answered as her voice almost broke.

I could tell she was losing the battle of wills. A clang echoed throughout the frozen world as she dropped her claymore. The leather sheath had disintegrated into nothingness from the energy she was exuding. Her eyes were glowing bright gold, the sign of her power.

"…Do you want me to end it?" I asked slowly.

She didn't answer for several moments, but then she grasped her sword.

Instead of picking it up, she unscrewed the pommel and a thin black card slid out. Her symbol was emblazoned upon it in deep red.

She lifted her hand, shaking with intense convulsion, and gave it to me.

"Do it." She whispered, tears flowing from her eyes.

I grasped her sword and held it over her head.

"Thank you for saving me." I spoke softly.

But instead of striking her, I impaled the blade into the ground in front of her.

I spoke several words in another language, and she screamed suddenly.

Darkness, pure darkness, poured out of her body and into the Mask. I drained the darkness that she unleashed and put her back to normal. Only moments of this and her eyes became silver again.

"And so my debt is repaid. You have another chance." I simply announced.

"A-Abraham…thank you. Thank you." She whispered, staring at her still human hand.

"Don't thank me yet. We're not done." I stopped her, and pointed.

A gate had appeared. It was old and weathered.

Words in the language of the Sun-Child were on it. It only denoted the word _Pulse_.

She managed to stand, retrieving her blade and screwing the pommel back on.

I ripped up the black card, and let the pieces fall to the wind.

"This is your new chance. Let's escape this hell." I explained.

"Abraham. Look. It's Fiera." She suddenly gasped.

Primo was gone. He had been there one moment, and now was gone.

"Blackheart." I spoke the hated word.

We both nodded, and sprinted towards the gate.

Our job wasn't done.

I still had to protect that idiotic kid, wherever he was.


End file.
